


Time Enough At Last

by poppetawoppet



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Angst, Huddling For Warmth, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, anti-gay violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-09
Updated: 2010-01-09
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4693586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppetawoppet/pseuds/poppetawoppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>for the ontd kink meme prompt :59. Kris/Adam huddling together for warmth! IDK why they're cold... They just ARE, I don't make the tropes, okay? But they are cold, they are together, and then things happen. </p><p>This is a little darker than the prompt implies, Kris and Adam are left for dead in the middle of nowhere, and they have to huddle to survive</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Enough At Last

**Author's Note:**

> Not real, not mine. Dedicated to [](http://bubby-wubby.livejournal.com/profile)[bubby_wubby](http://bubby-wubby.livejournal.com/)  who asked that I turn this story into Kradam AU. Oh and I stole the title

_Cold._

That was his first coherent thought.

_Dark._

He blinked, his eyes burning, his mouth dry and sour with bile. Everything ached and burned, and he felt as if something was weighing him down.

Except he was in ripped jeans, a t-shirt and a light leather jacket, lying in the snow, somehow unable to move. He slowly realized he had been drugged at some point, the way his limbs seemed to move in a separate time than his mind. Although his mind seemed to be moving slowly, too, stretching like a rubber band.

He looked down, noticing he had bled into the snow at some point, feeling sharp pains, knowing he had been injured somehow.

_He was holding my hand. We were walking down the street and he was holding my hand. He meant it as a joke. I think._

It was slowly coming back, the night. Walking down the street in suburbia, away from the cameras for the first time in forever. Reminiscing, commiserating over failed relationships. Laughing. They had been laughing so much, his stomach hurt. He had missed that. The easiness of them

_Need to get help._

He was in trouble. His toes were numb, and his fingers felt as if they were about to break off. He had to move, but his arms did not want to comply. But eventually they moved. He looked up; saw a dark shape in the distance.

_He didn't know why he didn't pull his hand away, except that it felt good. That it felt normal to be holding hands with his best friend. It was just a joke, anyway. He was sure it was a joke. They had entered the bar like that, sitting right up front, still holding hands. The bartender had given them a look, but said nothing._

_When the drinks appeared in front of them and the bartender said that they were from fans, that should have tipped them off. They didn't drink them, they had been taught better than that. But when the four men came up to them and asked why they weren't drinking, that was the first sign of trouble._

He saw pink in the distance, thankful for small miracles. He lay there as the light began to warm him, his arms moving again, sliding across the slow in small measured movements.

He tired quickly, resting in what seemed like moments, but the sun kept jumping higher, the sky turning blue. The warmth seemed to be melting the snow, and he wondered how he would make it across the grass or pavement or wherever he had been dumped.

It didn't matter-he just had to get help. For both of them. The figure in the distance did not move. He wondered how badly-

_Don't think about it._

The sounds of punches and kicks and screams rang in his ears still. He remembered something snapping, and then something piercing his skin. His vision fading, his name being whispered desperately…

The light seeped into him, and he closed his eyes against the pain of the brightness. He rested a moment more, his hand sweeping idly across the snow. He opened his eyes again, noticing the sheen below his hand. It didn't process in his brain, what was underneath him. He just kept moving.

The sun finally reached a position above him, and most of the snow was gone. He was wet, tired, bleeding, aching, cold. He tried desperately to remember more, what exactly had happened, but all he could think of was to keep moving, to keep himself alive. The sun was almost unbearably warm compared to the melting snow, and panic set in as he realized exactly where he was.

He had made it only a few feet more before the ice cracked. He paused, his heart racing. He had to make it, if only to see…

The ice cracked again. He closed his eyes.

_Please. I just need to know that he's alive._

Shift.

Crack.

Shift.

It doesn't hit him at first, the cold. It's the wet that envelops him, so clear, as if the water had been filtered. Then the sharp pain begins, and his limbs feel heavy and useless, even though he is moving them. He is still sinking.

_Let him be okay. Just let him be okay._

His movements slowed, and he still struggled to bring his face to the surface again. It was just like earlier, the way the light began to fade. The last thing he felt before everything went black was a calloused hand in his own. But it was just his imagination.

*

Kris blinked. The first thing he felt was cold. The second was pain. He dully remembered the four, five, perhaps six men who had attacked them, although it was buried in the haze that he assumed was drugs. The sun was up, and warm against his back, but the glare hurt his eyes.

He blinked again, seeing a figure come closer, inch by inch.

_Adam_

They had been together. Kris could still feel Adam's palm against his own. Adam probably thought he had been joking, but hand holding was all Kris thought he could get away with, with Adam's recent break-up, and the way Adam had been smiling when they had first arrived.

It had been the kind of smile he had had when he first talked about Brad. Kris knew a broken heart, and he wanted it to mend before enacting his 'make Adam realize he loves me' plan. But then those men had come, and now.

Kris's eyes opened when he heard the first crack, and he realized that Adam had been placed on a sheet of ice. Adam's face was determined, pained. Kris tried to call out, to tell him to stop, but his voice wouldn't work.

Another crack. Kris swallowed, pushing himself up, ignoring the lines of fire that shot up his arms. HE made it to a sitting position before Adam fell through.

In the space of what seemed to be a second, he shrugged off his jacket and was on the ice, thrusting his hand into the water, gasping as the cold hit it, searching frantically for something to hold onto. Then Adam's hand was clasping his, and Kris pulled.

He heard another crack, but this time in the distance. His shoulder was burning, but soon his other hand was under Adam's arm and pulling as well.

Kris breathed heavily, lying on the ice next to Adam. He was not breathing.

"Adam," he whispered.

He pulled Adam close, beginning chest compressions, every memory from his first aid class all those years ago completely gone.

"Damn it Adam!"

_"Damn it Adam, let it go. They are just being morons."_

_"Kris. You just don't know."_

_"No I don't. But there are more of them than us, so why don't we just leave peacefully and go watch a stupid movie at the hotel or something?"_

_"OK"_

Adam choked weakly, water leaking from his lips. Kris closed his eyes, feeling tears of relief, trying to hold them back, because they were going to freeze anyway.

"K-k-k-kris? 'Sc-c-c-old."

Kris laughed. He couldn't help it. "No shit, Sherlock."

He knelt, dragging Adam off the edge of the ice and onto the grass where he himself had woken. He laid his jacket over Adam, ignoring the bite of the wind. He dug in the pockets, for his phone.

"All I need is just one bar," he whispered, dialing as it flickered, then steadied.

"911 emergency, what is the nature of your problem?"

"My name is Kris Allen. My friend and I were kidnapped last night and dumped by a lake or a pond. Or something. He fell in the ice. He's hurt. So am I?"

"So you have no idea where you are?"

Kris clenched his teeth. "No. But we need help, and fast."

"Sir—"

"Look, you have my phone number. Get some computer geek on the line and track the fucking GPS!! He'll die!"

Kris's voice broke then, the sobs shaking his body. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "But I'm scared."

"It's okay sir. Just keep your phone on, and we'll do what we can."

"Thank you."

He carefully set his phone by Adam's head.

"Adam?"

"Tired. Leave me alone," Adam mumbled.

Kris swallowed, seeing the dark, wet spot on the back of Adam's head.

"You shouldn't sleep. You might have a concussion."

"Too c-c-cold to care."

Kris wiped his eyes again, fear bubbling up again. He crawled beneath the miniscule covering of his jacket, thanking God that his lack of fashion sense had made him wear his heavy winter coat. He pressed himself against Adam, rubbing a hand up and down one of Adam's arms. He leaned his head into Adam's shoulder, his mouth warm against the cool hollow of Adam's throat.

"Please, just hold on a little longer."

"You're warm"

Kris smiled. "That's because I didn't fall into a frozen lake. Why did you keep moving?"

"Had to make sure you were alive."

Kris's hand stopped, and he closed his eyes. "Adam…"

"Tired. Shut up."

Kris heard a voice in the distance, the operator saying someone was on the way. He thought he said something back to her, but Adam's breath had slowed again.

"Adam, just talk to me. Please. About anything."

"Don't wanna. You talk."

Kris laughed. "Okay. But you have to respond." He paused. "The whole hand holding thing. I'm sorry about that. It's my fault we're here."

"Not."

"It is. If I hadn't have been-"

"Not. Don't argue." Adam's hand squeezed his, light, but there.

"Fine. Anyway. The whole hand holding thing. I know you thought I was being silly. I wasn't."

Kris closed his eyes, listening carefully to Adam's heartbeat.

"See, it's stage one. In my convince Adam he loves me campaign. As you can tell it is a roaring success. Adam?"

Kris sat up slightly. Adam's eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. "Adam, you have to stay awake."

_Adam is sleeping now, and Kris covers him with a blanket. He wanted so much to tell him everything, but their timing had never been right. Instead, he brushed his lips against Adam's forehead and walked out of the room, hoping one day he could just crawl in beside him instead._

"Adam."

Nothing. Kris rubbed his face again, realizing that despite the sun, the cold was seeping into his bones. He felt so tired. But he had to stay awake. His eyes closed involuntarily. Just one minute. They snapped open again, and he settled himself next to Adam again. Just a moment.

He heard something in the distance. A shout. His name. But his eyes stayed close. Just one moment.

*

Adam vaguely recognized the sound of machines, the bustling of feet. He heard someone arguing, something about family and needing to be there.

It was warm. That he knew. The pain was gone. That he knew. He vaguely remembered Kris admitting to having a campaign to make Adam love him. Or was that a dream? Adam couldn't be sure.

He felt a hand in his own, recognized it as it fit seamlessly.

"They weren't going to let me come in."

Adam tried to open his eyes. They wouldn't comply. Neither would his hand. It wasn't fair. He just wanted to let Kris know he had heard.

"As it is I have to go back to my own room. Didn't lose any body parts. Said the body heat probably saved you. So I guess you owe me now."

Even though he couldn't see it, Adam knew there was a sly grin on Kris's face.

"So just hold on. There's a lot I want to talk to you about, ok?"

There was a long pause, and then Adam felt Kris lean over. Instead of the forehead kiss he was expecting, he felt Kris's lips against his own, lingering slightly. Kris pulled away, his breath uneven.

"Probably won't remember that, will you?"

Then Kris's hand brushed against his cheek, and he was gone. The room felt cold.

_Adam held Kris close, rubbing his back. He didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say? Kris and Katy had always been a pair in his mind._

_"How about you sleep here, and we talk more in the morning?"_

_Kris nodded, letting Adam cover him up. Adam watched as Kris drifted off, their hands still entwined. Adam leaned over, pressing a light kiss to Kris's cheek. He felt guilty in a way, for feeling simultaneously happy and sad. After all, he was involved at the moment, and right now, things were too complicated to even consider anything. Their timing, as always, sucked._

Adam sighed, listening to the machines. He could almost bet that Kris would pretend he hadn't said all the things he had, that he would try to hide the look that said he wanted, that he needed Adam. Adam had been trying to ignore it, thinking it had just been a phase. But even if the timing was wrong, he was tired of letting Kris slip away. A plan began to form in his mind.

*

Kris shuffled away from the window. "Guess we're stuck here for awhile. The paps are still crowded outside, even though the hotel threatened to call security."

"Pretty sure I'm not ready to go anywhere."

Kris tried to school his face into calm as he looked at Adam.  "I suppose not."

Adam looked _small_ somehow, sitting in the bed, his right arm still in a sling. Kris had been lucky enough to escape with stitches and bruises. In the two weeks in the hospital, though, he had been threatened by many nurses that if he didn't leave Adam's room _right then_ …

He smiled. It was going to be fine. It was. The police had found three of the attackers, and the other three had been identified, so that wasn't a problem. The problem was that Kris had so much he had meant to say and couldn't do it. He didn't know where to begin.

"Kris? I'm cold."

Kris lifted his head up, his heart racing foolishly. "Oh. I'll get you another blanket."

"Kris."

"What?"

He watched as Adam's face flashed through a number of emotions, settling on resignation. "Just sit with me, okay? Just let yourself rest."

"Oh."

Kris walked over slowly as Adam held up the blankets. _He just wants someone to be nearby. He just wants someone to be nearby._

Kris settled in, not touching Adam. Adam sighed and pulled him closer.

"I'm not going to get warm with you all the way over there, Kris."

Kris swallowed, closed his eyes and gave up. He moved himself until his head was nestled into Adam's shoulder, sighing as Adam's arm rest across his back.

"I wasn't sleeping you know. I could hear you. The whole time. In the hospital."

Kris stiffened, but Adam wouldn't let him move.

"You're an idiot. You know that right? Timing kind of sucks, but if it takes a near death experience to get you to kiss me, I don't even want to know what it's going to take—"

"Don't finish that sentence-" Kris said, sitting up and looking into Adam's eyes.

"He speaks. Tell me to my face. I want to know about this make Adam love me plan."

Kris felt his face heat. "Adam, I just, I-"

"Fuck that. Just kiss me again. I want to participate this time."

Kris's eyes narrowed. "You weren't cold. You just wanted me to get into bed with you."

"Proof that I am a better planner than you. Now kiss me. I am cold, actually, but I think we may be able to fix that."

"Asshole."

"You know you love me."

Kris smiled, leaning forward, kissing Adam again. It was slow at first, both of them unsure of how far the other was willing to risk. Then Adam opened his mouth, and Kris leaned further forward, trying to make up for lost time by trying to taste everything all at once. Adam gasped in pain and Kris pulled back.

"Adam?"

"Stupid cast. I—"

Kris lifted the sling over Adam's head, laying the arm carefully beside him, then moving forward again. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

"I always liked it when you got creative."

"Are you going to shut up or are you going to kiss me?"

"Yes sir. As you command."

"Asshole."

Adam laughed, his eyes finally losing the shadows they had carried for so long. "I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing that a lot."

Kris shrugged. "Maybe. If you keep talking and don't kiss me already."

Adam smiled and complied.

Kris sighed as Adam kissed him again. The timing had been all wrong, the events terrible, but he couldn't be anything other than thankful. His hands squeezed tighter for a moment saying _I don't ever want to lose you again_  
  
Adam's hands returned the gesture. _I'm not going anywhere at all_

 


End file.
